G♯ locrian
G♯ natural minor with two notes lowered: A and D. Seven notes: G♯ A B C♯ D E F♯. The same notes as A major, centred on G♯. Locrian is rarely used as a home key.
- Parent key
- A major Same notes
- Colour note
- A and D The flat 2nd and 5th
- Repeating chords
- G♯° – A i° – ♭II
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| i°VampG♯°G♯ · B · D | ||||
| ♭IIVampAA · C♯ · E | ||||
| ♭iiiBmB · D · F♯ | ||||
| ivC♯mC♯ · E · G♯ | ||||
| ♭VDD · F♯ · A | ||||
| ♭VIEE · G♯ · B | ||||
| ♭viiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯ |
What makes it locrian
Natural minor, with the 2nd and 5th lowered
Two notes separate G♯ locrian from G♯ natural minor: A♯ becomes A and D♯ becomes D. Over the same root, that turns G♯m – A♯° into G♯° – A.
- G♯
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
Hear the difference
One chord that says locrian
G♯m7♭5 holds D, one of the mode's two colour notes. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on G♯
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Locrian is row 7 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- A♭ lydianA♭B♭CDE♭FGsame sound as G♯ lydian♯4
- A♭ ionian (major)A♭B♭CD♭E♭FGsame sound as G♯ ionian (major)—
- G♯ mixolydianG♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯♭7
- G♯ dorianG♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯♭3 ♭7
- G♯ aeolian (natural minor)G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- G♯ phrygianG♯ABC♯D♯EF♯♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- G♯ locrianG♯ABC♯DEF♯♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating G♯° – A chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with A and D ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickG♯° – A, two bars each, in frets 2–6. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
- Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while G♯° – A sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver G♯°, aim for D; over A, aim for A. They are the notes that make it locrian.80 bpmLevel 2
Locrian on every root
Pick a root
Other modes of A major's notes